Internet of Things and Cloud-Based Monitoring of an Electrolysis and Fuel Cell System

Abstract

This study presents a real-time Internet of Things (IoT)-based monitoring and control system for a hybrid green hydrogen setup powered by photovoltaic (PV) energy. The system integrates a Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolyzer, a fuel cell, and DC loads, with current and voltage data collected via IoT sensors and stored on a cloud platform. Data is sampled every 10 seconds and visualized through a user-friendly interface that supports hourly, daily, and weekly performance tracking via web and mobile devices. Experimental validation shows the PEM electrolyzer operates within 0.4–1.6 A and 1.6–3.2 V, achieving 58.25% energy efficiency at 1.2 A, while the fuel cell reaches 82.3% efficiency under the same condition. Hydrogen production rates, estimated through empirical equations, range from 0.38 to 8.36 mL/min. The system enables both real-time analysis and retrospective diagnostics, offering a practical tool for performance optimization and early fault detection in small-scale renewable energy applications. The uniqueness of this work lies in its fully integrated, cloud-based IoT approach for autonomous monitoring of a complete green hydrogen cycle.